Lebanon's president said Tuesday that Israel's operation to destroy what it says is a series of cross-border attack tunnels built by the militant Hezbollah group won't endanger the calm along the frontier, adding that his country takes the issue seriously.
Michel Aoun, a Hezbollah ally, said that Lebanon is prepared to address the issue after assessing a full report on the situation.
Aoun said the United States has informed Lebanon that Israel has "no aggressive intentions," adding that his country harbored none either.
"We are ready to remove the causes of the disagreements, but after we get the full report and decide what are the issues we need to handle," Aoun said.
Israel launched an operation to destroy a series of tunnels last week, showing one to U.N. peacekeepers and calling it a violation of the cease-fire that ended the 2006 war with Hezbollah.
The peacekeeping force, or UNIFIL, has confirmed the presence of two tunnels.
On Tuesday, the mission's head, Maj. Stefano Del Col, .

Lebanon: Israel destroying border tunnels won't affect calm

PTI Automatic

Indonesia has rejected a demand by Papuan rebels to hold negotiations on their territory's self-determination.
Indonesia's top security minister, Wiranto, said Tuesday that the government will not open talks with those who have committed serious crimes. The comment follows a December 2 attack on a construction site that left at least 17 dead.
Sebby Sambom, spokesman for the West Papua National Liberation Army, called on the government last week to agree to peace talks similar to ones that led to another province, Aceh, becoming semiautonomous, or to a "real referendum" on independence, as occurred in the former Indonesian territory of East Timor.
Wiranto, who goes by one name, said the group is trying to instill fear into people.

Indonesia rejects rebels' demand on Papua independence talks

The head of the UN's top science panel on climate change said Tuesday the world needs to "do more and faster" to prevent global warming on a scale that would cause irreversible environmental damage and hit poor societies hard.
Hoesung Lee, who chairs the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, told diplomats at the UN climate summit in Poland that scientists had conducted an exhaustive review of data for their recent special report on keeping average global temperature increases to 1.5 degrees Celsius (2.7 Fahrenheit).
"The report shows that not just action, but urgent action is needed," Lee said.
His comments come as national leaders and ministers gathered in Katowice for the final stretch of the two-week talks, with just days left to break through thorny issues that diplomats have struggled to resolve.
UN climate chief Patricia Espinosa urged delegates to show a "spirit of unity" through the end of the week.
Lack of unity was on full display Saturday, when the United States, ...

UN science panel chief calls for more action to curb warming

Japan is seeking to possess its first aircraft carrier to allow for the deployment of US-made stealth fighters as it seeks to bolster its arms capability under a new 10-year defense plan.
A draft outline of Japan's new defense plan, presented by the government Tuesday, proposes refitting an existing helicopter carrier into one that can deploy US-made F-35 stealth fighters capable of short take-offs and vertical landings.
A candidate would be the Maritime Self-Defense Force's helicopter carrier Izumo, a 250-meter (820-foot) -long warship that can carry 14 helicopters.
Prime Minister Shinzo Abe is scrapping the current program after only five years, citing rapid changes in a security environment that requires higher deterrence to cope with threats from North Korea and China.
The new National Defense Program Guidelines are expected next week.
The draft outline says Japan needs more STOVLS such as F-35Bs to beef up its air defense capability in the Pacific, while expanding surveillance in 

Japan seeks 1st aircraft carrier to deploy stealth fighters

Japan is seeking to possess its first aircraft carrier allowing for the deployment of US-made stealth fighters as it seeks to bolster its arms capability under a new 10-year defense plan.
A draft outline of Japan's new defense plan, presented by the government Tuesday, proposes refitting an existing helicopter carrier into one that can deploy US-made F-35 stealth fighters capable of short take-offs and vertical landings.
Prime Minister Shinzo Abe is scrapping the current program only after five years in use, citing rapid changes in the security environment requiring higher deterrence to cope with threats from North Korea and China.
Critics say possession of an aircraft carrier would give Japan a strike capability in violation to the country's pacifist constitution.

Japan draft defense plan seeks aircraft carrier for US jets

China's foreign minister vowed Tuesday to protect its citizens abroad as a Canadian court decided whether to release a technology executive on bail in a case that has riled US-Chinese relations.
Beijing will "spare no effort" to protect against "any bullying that infringes the legitimate rights and interests of Chinese citizens," Foreign Minister Wang Yi said at a conference in Shanghai.
Wang didn't mention the Huawei Technologies Ltd. executive, Meng Wanzhou, who was arrested in Vancouver on U.S. charges related to possible violations of trade sanctions against Iran.
But a ministry spokesman, Lu Kang, said Wang was referring to cases of all Chinese abroad, including Meng.
Meng's December 1 arrest came the same day Presidents Donald Trump and Xi Jinping agreed to a 90-day cease-fire in a tariff war over Beijing's technology policy that threatens global commerce.
The arrest prompted concern trade talks might be derailed, but Beijing indicated Tuesday they were going ahead.
China's ...

China's foreign minister vows to defend citizens abroad

German authorities have arrested a woman suspected of supporting the Islamic State group by helping two members who allegedly planned an attack in Germany.
Federal prosecutors said the woman, a 40-year-old German identified only as Songul G., was arrested Tuesday in Hamburg.
They said she was in contact with a suspected IS member based in Syria, identified as Marcia M., who together with another alleged member was involved in plans for an attack in Germany. The plan was to smuggle attackers into Germany, where they would marry women who were aware of the plot.
In 2016, Songul G. allegedly registered a cellphone number under a false name and offered to host and marry one of the would-be attackers. Two of them then tried and failed to leave Syria for Germany.

Germany arrests suspected helper of Islamic State group

Two Russian cosmonauts are preparing to venture outside the International Space Station to inspect a section where a mysterious leak has been discovered.
The leak was spotted on August 30 in the Russian Soyuz spacecraft attached to the station. The crew quickly located and sealed the tiny hole that created a slight loss of pressure, and space officials said the station has remained safe to operate.
Russian cosmonauts Oleg Kononenko and Sergei Prokopyev will conduct a six-hour spacewalk Wednesday to inspect the Soyuz's outer surface.
They will uncover the thermal insulation covering the patched hole and take samples that would be studied by experts.
Roscosmos chief Dmitry Rogozin has previously said that the hole could have been drilled during manufacturing or while in orbit.

Space station crew to inspect mysterious hole on spacewalk

The UN mission to Libya says Islamic State militants have killed six people captured during an attack on a small town in October.
The UN statement late Monday condemned the killing as "particularly abhorrent," without providing further details. The six were captured on October 28 during an attack on the town of al-Fuqaha.
The town is south of the coastal city of Sirte, a former IS-held bastion.
The attack underscored the volatility of Libya's central region, where IS and other armed groups, including some from neighbouring Chad, operate as highway robbers or attack patrols of the self-styled Libyan National Army.
Libya plunged into chaos after the 2011 uprising and is now governed by rival administrations based in country's east and west.

UN says Islamic State kills 6 captives in Libya

Cricket Australia's so-called Big Bash League is set to dispense with the traditional toss of a coin to determine which team gets to choose whether to bat or bowl first at the start of the game.
It'll be decided instead by the flip of a bat when the eighth edition of the domestic Twenty20 Big Bash League starts Dec. 19.
Instead of heads or tails, the question asked of the visiting team captain will be "hills or flats," terms more synonymous with the homegrown rules of what Australians call backyard cricket.
Kim McConnie, the head of the league, says the change "reflects what BBL is about."
"Some people don't like change but I'd also challenge people to say when was the last time anyone watched the coin toss or really focused on it to a great extent?"
McConnie was quoted as telling the Australian Broadcasting Corp. in an article published on the league's website.
The bat used for the flip will be standard and supplied by the BBL. Twenty20 is the shortest format played in elite ...

Cricket's "Big Bash" dispenses with coin toss; will flip bat

The Palestinian Health Ministry says Israeli forces shot and killed a Palestinian man who Israeli police say attempted to ram his car into Israeli forces.
Israeli police say a driver attempted to strike forces working on "security measures" near the West Bank city of Hebron on Tuesday. Police say forces opened fire at the car and that no Israeli forces were harmed.
The incident comes two days after gunmen wounded seven Israelis in the West Bank, including a pregnant 21-year-old whose baby was prematurely delivered by cesarean section after the attack. The baby remains in critical condition.
Following that attack, Israeli forces carried out raids in the West Bank city of Ramallah in search of the gunmen, including into the offices of the official Palestinian news agency.

Israeli troops kill Palestinian after suspected car ramming

LeBron James hit his first free throw to put the Lakers up by two. Dwyane Wade sidled up to him before the second shot.
"Bro, just miss it so I can shoot the game-winner," Wade said in the waning seconds of their last game together.
"Me and you. One on one. Just let me shoot it and go for it." LeBron didn't miss. Dwyane didn't really expect him to.
They still got that last showdown, one on one with the game on the line. Wade launched a 27-foot fadeaway jumper that didn't go down, and the buzzer eventually sounded on the Lakers' 108-105 victory over Miami on Monday night while they scrapped for one last rebound.
To the final moment in their 16 seasons of simultaneous stardom, these rivals and teammates competed with passion and love. When it was over, they hugged and vowed to get together soon.
"That's just us," James said.
"Some people say you shouldn't be friends with your competitors. But even with our friendship, we competed against each other and we pushed each other."
James ...

LeBron's Lakers edge Wade's Heat in final meeting, 108-105

Mohammed Amer Shaaban stood over trays of fresh fish at his tiny store in the coastal Sinai Peninsula city of el-Arish, pointing to his right and left while recalling the tough days when Islamic State militants operated with impunity.
"They killed a Christian who owns a knife shop there and an informant over there. They also killed one of my cousins," he said.
"We have enjoyed some stability and peace for the past six or seven months," added the 48-year-old father of five as some two dozen journalists descended on el-Arish's fish market as part of a rare, army-organized trip.
The trip was chiefly designed to show off signs of normalcy in el-Arish, northern Sinai's largest city, as evidence that the military's all-out offensive against militants launched nearly 10 months ago has succeeded.
But in the city and the surrounding deserts, the signs of war are difficult to miss, particularly the enormous security presence.
The Associated Press was required to submit the photos and video ...

Normalcy restored in Egyptian Sinai city, but danger lurks

Google's CEO faces a grilling from US lawmakers on how the web search giant handled an alarming data breach and whether it may bend to Chinese government censorship demands.
CEO Sundar Pichai's appearance Tuesday before the House Judiciary Committee comes after he angered members of a Senate panel in September by declining their invitation to testify about foreign governments' manipulation of online services to sway US elections.
Pichai's no-show at that hearing was marked by an empty chair for Google alongside the Facebook and Twitter executives.
Pichai went to Washington later in September to mend fences, meeting with some two dozen Republicans and indicating he also planned to meet with Democrats.
He took part last week in a White House meeting with other tech industry executives that focused mainly on getting government and businesses working more closely on accelerating emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence.
In October, Google announced it was shutting down its ...

Google CEO faces House grilling on breach, China censorship

Columbia University has denounced a "racially charged incident" after a video went viral showing a white student shouting at a group of minority students that, "White people are the best thing to ever happen to the world."
University officials released a statement Sunday, calling the footage "alarming" and said it featured "painful language" being used against minority students. The school says it is investigating the incident, which took place on campus early Sunday morning.
The Columbia Daily Spectator student newspaper identified the student as sophomore Julian von Abele.
In the video, the student repeatedly claims that Europeans "invented the modern world." He then screams, "We're white men! We did everything!" It's unclear what prompted the exchange. Von Abele did not immediately respond to news outlets' requests for comment.

Columbia Univ denounces white student's 'alarming' rant

An Afghan official says a suicide car bomber has struck a security convoy on the outskirts of Kabul, killing four security forces.
Nasrat Rahimi, deputy spokesman for the Interior Ministry, said six other forces were wounded in Tuesday's attack.
No one immediately claimed responsibility, but the Taliban and an Islamic State affiliate have both carried out attacks in the capital.
Elsewhere in Afghanistan, the Taliban attacked a checkpoint in the southern Kandahar province late Monday, killing eight police.
Aziz Ahmad Azizi, the spokesman for the provincial governor, said 11 insurgents were killed in the battle.
The Taliban control nearly half of Afghanistan and carry out daily attacks that mainly target security forces.

Suicide bomber kills 4 security forces near Afghan capital

A Tokyo court ruled Tuesday that Nissan Motor Co.'s former chairman, Carlos Ghosn, and another executive, both arrested November 19, can remain in custody through December 20. Their detention could continue for months more under the Japanese legal system.
The Tokyo District Court decision comes a day after Ghosn, executive Greg Kelly and Nissan Motor were charged with violating financial laws by underreporting Ghosn's pay by about 5 billion yen (USD 44 million) in 2011-2015.
The extended detention is for investigation of additional allegations prosecutors issued Monday against Ghosn and Kelly of underreporting another 4 billion yen (USD 36 million) in 2016-2018.
The arrest of an industry icon admired in Japan and around the world stunned many and has raised concerns over the Japanese automaker and the future of its alliance with Renault SA of France.
Ghosn's lawyer, Motonari Ohtsuru, has filed a protest with the court against the prolonged detention, Kyodo News service reported. ...

Japan court opts to detain Nissan's Ghosn through Dec. 20

New Zealand's government on Tuesday passed a law that will make medical marijuana widely available for thousands of patients over time.
The legislation will also allow terminally ill patients to begin smoking illegal pot immediately without facing the possibility of prosecution.
The measures come ahead of a planned national referendum on recreational marijuana use.
The government has pledged to hold the referendum some time over the next two years, but has not yet set a date or finalized the wording.
The new law allows patients much broader access to medical marijuana, which was previously highly restricted. But most patients will have to wait a year until a new set of regulations, licensing rules and quality standards are put in place.
The law will also allow medical marijuana products to be manufactured in New Zealand for both domestic and overseas markets.
Health Minister Dr. David Clark said in a statement the new law will help ease suffering.  "This will be particularly welcome ..

New Zealand law to make medical marijuana widely available

An Australian court sentenced a Sydney teenager to at least 12 years in prison on Tuesday for planning an attack inspired by the Islamic State group for which he bought knives and bayonets from a gun shop two years ago.
The now 18-year-old male, who cannot be named for legal reasons, was arrested outside a Muslim prayer hall in the western Sydney suburb of Bankstown in October 2016, and found guilty of plotting an attack by a jury in September.
Handing down his sentence at the Parramatta Supreme Court in western Sydney, Judge Geoffrey Bellew rejected the man's claim that he had purchased the weapons for hunting animals.
"At the time of his arrest, the offender was ready, willing and able to carry out a terrorist attack," the judge said.
"It reflects a deep and unstinting motivation to act upon and put into specific effect the irrational, immoral and heinous advice propounded in extremist propaganda issued by Islamic State," the judge added.
The teenager acknowledged to the court that .

Sydney teen jailed for planning attack

A jailed Chinese technology executive will have to wait at least more day to see if she will be released on bail in a case that has raised U.S.-China tensions and complicated efforts to resolve a trade dispute that has roiled financial markets and threatened global economic growth.
Meng Wanzhou, the chief financial officer of Chinese telecommunications giant Huawei and daughter of its founder, was detained at the request of the U.S. during a layover at the Vancouver airport December 1  the same day that Presidents Donald Trump and Xi Jinping of China agreed to a 90-day cease-fire in the trade dispute that threatens to disrupt global commerce.
The U.S. has accused Huawei of using a Hong Kong shell company to sell equipment to Iran in violation of U.S. sanctions. It also says Meng and Huawei misled banks about the company's business dealings in Iran.
After a second daylong session, Justice William Ehrcke said the bail hearing would continue Tuesday. In urging the court to reject Meng's .

China ups pressure as tech exec's hearing goes into Tuesday

Twenty million people in war-torn Yemen are hungry  a staggering 70 per cent of the population and a 15 per cent increase from last year  and for the first time 250,000 are facing "catastrophe," the U.N. humanitarian chief said Monday.
Mark Lowcock, who recently returned from Yemen, told reporters there has been "a significant, dramatic deterioration" of the humanitarian situation in the country and "it's alarming."
He said that for the first time, 250,000 Yemenis are in Phase 5 on the global scale for classifying the severity and magnitude of food insecurity and malnutrition  the severest level, defined as people facing "starvation, death and destitution."
Lowcock, the U.N. undersecretary-general for humanitarian affairs, said those 250,000 Yemenis facing "catastrophe" are overwhelmingly concentrated in four provinces "where the conflict is raging quite intensely"  Taiz, Saada, Hajja and Hodeida.
The only other country where anyone is in Phase 5 is South Sudan, with 25,000 people ...

AP

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